Chapter 1555 Extra: Little Cui, Middle Cui, Big Cui, Old Cui (Part 2)
"No, why do we need to rent a place?"
The Right Vice Minister completely failed to understand Cui Xiao's decision.
Other officials could afford to rent, since officials in the capital and those in the provinces rotated periodically, and houses in the capital weren't cheap; renting was far more cost-effective than buying. Of course, the most important reason was that ordinary officials simply couldn't afford to buy. Buying a house wasn't just about getting a few bedrooms and living rooms to accommodate a large family; it also required considering one's official rank, location, and the quality of the house's decor to reflect one's status.
As you can imagine, it must be incredibly expensive.
If it weren't for the substantial housing allowance included in their salaries, and the fact that a batch of rental housing was specifically designated for officials in the capital, the housing prices alone would have made many officials suffer greatly. It's quite heartbreaking, really; even the Right Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices rents and is currently working hard to save money to buy a house. However, Vice Minister Cui probably isn't one of those renters; with all those titles on his head, how could he not get a bestowed residence?
Cui Xiao fell silent when faced with this question.
The Right Vice Minister asked cautiously, "Is there some difficulty?"
Was Cui Zhongcheng a victim of the previous government debt fraud scheme that collapsed?
Was he swindled out of his house?
Are you so broke that you can only afford to rent a place to live now?
The Right Vice Minister's voice was even softer: "Your bestowed residence..."
Cui Xiao: "The construction of the bestowed residence was halted several times and was never completed."
The Right Vice Minister was stunned: "Huh?"
Cui Xiao sighed and repeated, "It wasn't covered properly."
Right Vice Minister: "...Have you offended anyone from the Ministry of Works?"
Cui Xiao: "..."
He actually wished he had offended the Ministry of Works, so he could have a reason to fight them and get those bastards to finish building the mansion bestowed by the Lord quickly. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Works was also a victim. Cui Xiao remembered that the first work stoppage was because the blueprints were somehow lost. It happened to be around the New Year, and the craftsmen went to celebrate the New Year. When they returned, they had completely forgotten about such a big project.
Cui Xiao returned from his busy work trip.
His bestowed residence was still in the foundation stage.
The Ministry of Works was urged, and after racking their brains for a long time checking their accounts, they finally remembered that there was such a thing, and work continued. That year happened to be a hot summer, and the emperor, out of compassion for the people, decreed that no outdoor work could be carried out when the temperature exceeded the limit, so the craftsmen all went home to avoid the heat.
As you can imagine, the hottest period passed and it was forgotten again.
Cui Xiao returned from his busy work trip.
His newly acquired residence only had a few beams and pillars added.
At this moment, his desire to greet the Ministry of Works reached its peak.
Fourteen long years have passed, and the project has progressed intermittently, remaining in a bare-bones state; even the interior decoration is not yet complete. Cui Xiao has been worn down by this ordeal, and he's become numb. The Right Vice Minister, unaware of the truth, delivered his unintentional words like knives piercing Cui Xiao's heart.
"Or... have I offended the Lord?"
"...None of them."
The Right Vice Minister's expression clearly showed that he did not fully believe the explanation.
The two ate together in the corridor, and the Right Vice Minister kindly shared his experience in renting a house: "It's not easy to rent a house these days, Vice Minister Cui, you must be careful and not fall into the trap of those unscrupulous brokers. When you went to find a broker the other day, did you pay attention to your accent?"
"accent?"
"Heartless real estate agents prey on out-of-towners, treating them differently based on their social status!" Even You Zhongcheng had a lot of grievances when talking about his painful experience renting a house. "Some good houses require a three-month deposit and twelve months' rent upfront, otherwise you can't rent one. During holidays, you have to appease those middlemen, otherwise, if a more generous tenant comes along, they'll kick you out without a word."
"Trying to please? Didn't we already sign the contract?"
"They don't recognize this contract."
The land in the capital was all under the royal family's name. Most of the good land was built by the Ministry of Works and the Directorate of Works. Apart from the bestowed residences and welfare rental housing provided to officials, the rest were for the common people. However, they were not easy to apply for, and the procedures were more complicated. Generally, there were no pitfalls.
The remaining areas were handed over to private developers for development, with government approval.
These types of properties are easily snapped up by middlemen.
In recent years, the population of the capital has been increasing, and housing has become scarce. Some commoners who rented houses from the government have secretly altered the layout of their homes, dividing them into many small rooms to rent out for profit. In short, renting a house has become quite surreal in the last two years.
Driven by profit, all sorts of monsters and scoundrels have emerged.
Second-hand landlords only care about money; they rent to whoever has the most money.
Cui Xiao raised an eyebrow: "Dare you deny it?"
The Right Vice Minister sighed, recalling the experience of his unfortunate classmate: "It's not just that they don't acknowledge it; some are even so audacious as to destroy the contract and deny everything, and it's common for them to withhold more than half of the deposit."
Cui Xiao: "..."
The Right Vice Minister shared with Cui Xiao a lot of the dark secrets he knew: "Right now, how can the Ministry of Justice possibly care about renting out rooms? The legal loopholes have given these heartless people an opportunity to take advantage. Not to mention withholding deposits, they also come up with all sorts of pretexts to overcharge you for rent. There are more and more excuses for overcharging you than stars in the sky. In chaotic times, they would be cruel officials who treat human life like dirt! There are water fees, window opening fees, sunlight fees, ventilation fees, rat catching fees... Oh, and cleaning fees too. If your house is dirty and you want to hire a maid to clean it, you can't find someone yourself. You have to go through these real estate agents, and they will charge you a referral fee at the end. Otherwise, they will make your whole family miserable..."
"So rampant?"
The Right Vice Minister said helplessly, "They haven't broken the law."
It's because Kangguo has neglected this area in recent years.
He complained, "The common people say that finding a reliable and conscientious real estate agent is harder than climbing to heaven. These black-hearted agents are good at bullying people and collude with some idle thugs. They don't hurt people, but they're disgusting."
Even under the emperor's nose, local thugs dare not beat people, but that doesn't stop them from secretly throwing excrement in people's yards and smearing rotten flesh on people's walls. When the weather gets hot, it attracts countless mosquitoes and flies, and the smell is absolutely awful.
Cui Xiao was also getting a headache from what he was being told.
He said, "I am not someone to be trifled with."
The Right Vice Minister said, "That's true."
He originally held a low position in the Censorate, and there was a long queue for official housing, so he could only look for private housing. The middlemen he encountered were not very friendly to him, and he also experienced the embarrassment of being notified to vacate the house halfway through the rental, which caused his family to suffer as well.
However, the situation changed after he was promoted.
The original second-tier dentist even wanted to give him a house.
How could the Right Vice Minister dare to accept it?
People in the Censorate are breaking the law; do they even want their careers anymore?
Sigh, I can't help but shed a tear when I think about these experiences.
He was genuinely worried that Cui Zhongcheng would also suffer.
As it turns out, suffering was not suffering.
It wasn't that Cui Xiaoliang's revelation of his identity frightened Fang Ya into bowing down immediately; rather, Fang Ya forgot about the matter as soon as he turned his back, causing Cui Xiaoliang to stay in the corridor of the Censorate's official residence for a few more days. The corridor was essentially an office dormitory, used only for officials on duty for temporary accommodation.
We can't stay here forever.
Cui Xiao suppressed his temper and went to Fang Ya to urge him on.
Fang Ya was surprised for a long time when asked the question.
He checked the memo several times before suddenly remembering that there was such a thing. Seeing that Cui Xiao was dressed simply and had an ordinary demeanor, he didn't seem to be a high-ranking official or nobleman. So he led him to see a few rented houses—well, ordinary houses with seven or eight small single rooms partitioned off with small wooden boards. The people living there were mostly men and women or small families who came to the capital to work hard and had limited budgets for rent.
Cui Xiao: "..."
Fang Ya asked, "Is Master Cui dissatisfied?"
Cui Xiao: "It needs to be more spacious and closer to the royal court."
Fang Ya immediately understood: "Oh, for convenience, right? I do have a house. Not long ago, an official was transferred to a local area, and his official rental house had two years left on the lease, so he transferred it to me... However, a house in such a good location will naturally be expensive."
Cui Xiao looked at Fang Ya with a complicated expression.
Good heavens, which colleague secretly transferred government-rented housing to private real estate brokers and made a profit from it? Ha, they're quite shrewd with money.
"Take me to see it."
Fang Ya turned the key, sizing up Cui Xiao, seemingly wondering how someone dressed so simply, who didn't look like a high-ranking official, could afford to live in that house. He laid it all out beforehand: "These kinds of nice houses aren't usually viewed casually."
Cui Xiao waved his sword fan: "So?"
Fang Ya smacked his lips and rubbed his fingers together.
The rule in this industry is to check the room rate, and it's not expensive.
Cui Xiao: "..."
He closed his eyes, held back, and gave it to them.
The real estate agent was honest; he took the money and immediately showed him the place. Cui Xiao glanced at the layout and quickly guessed what had happened to the previous tenant, a colleague. Up in the attic, Cui Xiao remained silent. Looking out the window, he could clearly see his ill-fated, unfinished house at the far end of his vision. _(:з」∠)_
I will be staying in the capital for the next two years.
Even if he were to grab the whip, he would still make the Ministry of Works cover it up.
Cui Xiao pretended to be very satisfied with the house and asked the real estate agent to quote a price.
Fang Ya was surprised by his straightforwardness, realizing he had misjudged the man's wealth. Cui Xiao received the contract, and the various fees listed on it were even more numerous than those described by the Right Vice Minister: "What is the water fee?"
Fang Ya pointed to the flowing water in the courtyard: "This water is drawn from Lingshan outside the city. To keep it clean and sweet, it naturally costs money to maintain it. The water fee is the cost of maintenance and labor."
Cui Xiao then asked, "What is the bird removal fee?"
Fang Ya said, “Oh, Master Cui, you may not know this, but this place is near the Five Seas. There are too many trees over there, and those flying animals like to build their nests there. When the season comes, they like to fly around and defecate everywhere. If you want to keep the house quiet, you should send people to clear away the excessive number of animals so that they don’t gather and disturb the noble person.”
Cui Xiao asked again, "What is this 'anti-theft fee'?"
Fang Ya explained, "Oh, this is to cover any thefts that occur in your home. In the past two years, the number of people in the capital has increased, and inevitably, there are all sorts of people, including many pickpockets. As long as you pay the anti-theft fee, if any valuables are lost from your home in the future, and the authorities confirm that it was done by pickpockets, we will fully compensate you for your losses."
Cui Xiao: "The servants you hired are so expensive?"
Fang Ya became a little impatient with the question: "Expensive? Where is it expensive? We've been charging this price for years. There's a reason why it's expensive! These servants have all been trained by palace maids and eunuchs. They are excellent at serving people, have impeccable manners, and are quick and efficient in their work. They are far superior to those commoners."
Before Cui Xiao could ask any more questions, Fang Ya shoved him and yelled, "Just say you don't want to rent a place! You poor wretch, you think you can live here? No wonder you're still just a low-ranking official after all these years, so stingy and lacking any class..."
Asking so many questions just means they think it's too expensive and want to bargain.
Fang Ya's face darkened with anger. He wanted to blurt out even harsher words, but when his eyes met Cui Xiao's, his heart trembled uncontrollably. A strong sense of crisis prevented him from acting recklessly: "Don't you dare do anything rash. This is under the Emperor's nose!"
"Grandfather, what are you doing here?"
At that moment, a carriage stopped not far away.
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the face of a beautiful woman.
The carriage was clearly made of high-quality wood, and the horses were strong and powerful, indicating that the owner was quite wealthy.
Cui Xiao turned his head and looked: "Three Dragons?"
Fang Ya, standing to the side, was already sweating profusely from fright.
Fortunately, Cui Xiao seemed to have no time to pay attention to him, and the woman ordered the coachman to turn around and drive over. She could tell Fang Ya's profession just by looking at his attire, and wondered how her grandfather was dealing with Fang Ya and renting a house.
Now is not the time for chatting and catching up.
Cui Long invited Cui Xiao to get into the car.
As the carriage drove away, Fang Ya dared to wipe her sweat and ran off in a flash, forgetting the matter within fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, Cui Long had also learned the whole story. She said, "Grandfather, why bother renting a house? I have a vacant house over there."
If they don't want to stay with her, they can go to their parents.
If that doesn't work, Big Bear and Little Deer will do.
I would never let my grandfather end up in such a sorry state as renting a room.
Cui Xiao: "It's inconvenient."
He had considered saving on rent.
Even after all these years, his daughter Cui Hui still intentionally distanced herself from him, and the father and daughter had only met a few times in more than a decade. He, on the other hand, had met Cui Zhi more often, but he didn't like this son-in-law—they were clearly both men who had been abandoned by Ke Wu, and Ke Wu had even taken them back.
They don't find it boring.
Cui Xiao didn't not miss his daughter; he just didn't want to see Cui Zhi. His two grandsons, Cui Xiong and Cui Mi, were relatively close to him.
They weren't raised from a baby, so how deep can the bond be?
Of the three children, he was closest to Cui Long, who was adopted into his elder sister's lineage, but Cui Long's life was rather eventful.
Speaking of this, Cui Xiao was once troubled by it.
It is known that Kangguo (Kangguo) explicitly stipulated monogamy.
Legally, the concept of "concubine" no longer exists; regardless of whether the concubine is male or female, it is no longer permitted. Officials who previously had concubines must, after the new law was promulgated, formally register one from their household, while all other women are free to marry as they please.
The question is, before Cui Long divorced Yuan, he had several male confidants, or in layman's terms, male lovers.
Those political enemies who wanted to eliminate Cui Xiao, finding they couldn't find any fault with him, started with Cui Long, attacking his private life to prove that Cui Xiao was lax in managing his household. "Cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world"—if Cui Xiao couldn't even discipline his granddaughter, was he even fit to serve in the Censorate?
If one is truly just and selfless, then one should "sacrifice one's own family for the greater good"!
Cui Long is defying the law and going against the new law!
How will this matter be resolved in the end?
The solution was for Cui Long to date one man every ten days of the month, making it three men per month. As long as he wasn't dating three men simultaneously, and both men and women were unmarried, what business was it of outsiders? She wasn't playing with the feelings of three men while she was married.
She ignored criticisms of her private conduct, instead smiling and pointing at the others with a sly grin: "Gentlemen, don't speak so confidently today, only to find your children or younger relatives also lacking in moral character tomorrow. How will you handle that then?"
Don't make promises you can't keep, or you'll end up contradicting yourself.
Some things are fine to fool others, but don't fool yourself too.
Living in this mortal world, who isn't full of male prostitutes and female thieves?
Don't be fooled by their official hats and dignified appearance; how could Cui Long not know what they're really thinking?
She developed feelings for three men, but all of them were genuine, while the others were only after the other man's youth and body.
How ridiculous, they're even blaming themselves?
How dare you say that about her?
In the end, the matter was dropped.
After all, they were genuinely afraid of the enigmatic and unpredictable Cui Xiao.
Some of them have questionable private conduct, and even those with clean records can't guarantee the same about those around them. If they hold onto Cui Long, Cui Xiao might hold onto their lives and futures. All things considered, it's simply not a worthwhile trade-off.
Knowing how much Cui Xiao doted on her, Cui Long held his grandfather's hand and pretended to scold him, "You still can't rent a room from a real estate agent. If outsiders find out, won't they say that your grandson is extremely unfilial?"
Cui Xiaodao: "I don't want to trouble you."
In his heart, his older sister was his family.
Whether it's Ke Wu or San Long, they both have their own families.
“Father sent someone this morning to say there’s a family dinner tonight…” Cui Long changed the subject, saying before Cui Xiao could refuse, “My maternal grandparents are coming too… If you’re not here, who knows what kind of airs they’ll put on, it’s really worrying.”
All the other people with the surname Cui are juniors.
Cui Xiao is of the same generation as them.
Even when the two sides meet, he takes the seat of honor, while his parents sit with him.
The key issue is that these two old men still like to put on the old-fashioned family manners. Every time they meet at a family banquet, they always find fault with Cui Long.
They hadn't paid much attention to Cui Long before because she was their daughter. Now, however, they disliked her because she had been adopted out. To the two elders, the Cui family members who had entered Cui Xiao's lineage were outsiders. But hearing this outsider call someone else "Grandfather" was a constant reminder that their granddaughter had been given away, and it made their hearts ache. They hadn't valued Cui Long, but now that someone else had taken her, they felt cheated.
This emotion is quite complex.
Cui Xiao frowned and nodded in agreement.
However, he asked the driver to turn around before setting off.
Under Cui Long's puzzled gaze, he brazenly barged into the residence bestowed upon Gu Chi by the master, ordering the steward left behind to prepare the best guest quarters—he didn't stay in the main courtyard directly because he knew of Gu Chi and Bai Su's private relationship, and he worried that there might be some intimate items belonging to men and women left there, which would be very awkward. The Gu family steward wanted to stop him, but dared not, because the aggrieved party, Cui Xiao, had already spoken up.
"Rentals are exorbitantly high these days, and I won't be able to find a good place to live anytime soon. Since it was your parents who forced me to stay in Huangting for so long, they should naturally take full responsibility. Either they pay all the rent for me, or I can live in their house for two years."
or--
Please, Ministry of Works, finish this project quickly.
Steward of the Gu family: "..."
No, what kind of situation is this?
The manager, with a distressed expression, had someone write a letter to Gu Chi: "Email, urgent, air freight preferred, parents, make a decision quickly!"
Parents, your home base has been taken over!
|ω`)
People in ancient times also had the troubles of renting a house.
(End of this chapter)
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